Artificial-flower machine



April 7, 1925.

- S. BERTONA ARTIFICIAL FLOWER mourns Filed Sept. 2 1 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Salvafore B E I fiEQ ATTORNEY S. BERTONA ARTIFI CIAL FLOWER MACHINEApril 7, 1925.

Filed Sept. 20 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 An M E "/70. $2

ZNVENTOR Salvatore Berlom 7 ATTORNEY UNITED STATES "and SALVATOREBEE-TUNA. or New Yoan, n. Y.

ARTZFICIAL-FLOVJER MACHINE.

Application filed September 20, 1924-. Serial No. 738,750.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SALvArcnn Biin'roNA', a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at the city of New York, in the county and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Artificial-Flower Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines for making artificial flowers andleaves and particularly to mechanism for impressing veinlike markingsupon artificial leaves and petals, and for curling the leaves and flowermembers. In carrying out my invention .1 provide mechanism whereby theblank, preferably of suitable fabric and cut to the proper outline,after insertion in a. suitable die, is carried to the station at whichthe blank is curled and the veins, if any are desired, are impressed inthe blank. which is thereafter removed from the die. The empty die isthen carried to the stations at which a blank may be inserted therein,the cycle of operations being completed by carrying said die back to theimpression station, whereupon said cycle of operations may be repeated.I i

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of my improved machine.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the same.

Fig. 3

the machine bed, and indicating the underlying mechanism in dottedlines.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the die table and the surrounding partstaken on the line H of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a similar viewof the same showing the position of the partsjust after a leaf blank has been impressed or veined, and

Fig.6 is .a top plan view similar to Fig. 3 showing in dotted lines thegrooved wheel which operates the die wheel, in the act of turning fromone of the stations to the next.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the female die into which the leaf blankis inserted.

In the practical embodiment of my invention a suitable frame 10 supportsa table or bed as 11, which carries the various die operating and thedelivery mechanism. A rotatable die table as 12 is fixed on, and isrotatable with the preferably vertical shaft 13, which is supported inthe bearing 14 of the table 11. The table 12 has mounted on is a topplan view and horizontal section on the line 33 of Fig. 3, showingsurface of the band 20.

and then leaves the grooves 1'? during said the upper face thereon aseries of dies 15,

suitably shaped for curling, or veining the blank, or both, as will bedescribed more fully hereinafter.

The means for advancing the dies to the various stations will now bedescribed. At the lower extremityof the shaft 13 is fixed the wheel 16adapted to rotate said shaft and the table: mounted thereonintermittently, and preferably having as many grooves 1'7 therein asthere are dies 15 on the table 12. In that embodiment of my inventionillustrated, four dies 15 and four corresponding grooves 17 are shown,though it will be understood that any other reasonable number may beused instead. Said wheel 16 is given a step by step motion, that is,with intervals of rest between movements, by

vmeans of the pin 18, projecting downwardly from the disc 19, when saidpin enters one of the grooves 17 during the rotation of said disc. Acylindrical bend preferably of less diameter than thatof said disc, andhaving an opening 21 therein is secured to and projects downwardly fromthe disc 19,

and is further adapted to engage and contact with the curved rim portion22 of the wheel 16 at those times when said wheel 16 is stationary, saidportion 22 being of substantially the same curvature as the band 20.(Fig. pin 18 is continuously rotated with the disc 19, and that duringsaid rotation said pin 18 enters the groove 17 between a pair of theprojections 23 at the extremities of'the curved portions 22 of saidwheel 16, and

causes said projections to move substantially in the direction of'rotation of said pin, whereby said projections enter the opening 21 inthe band 20 at the beginning of the movement thereof, and leave saidopening 21 at the end of said movement, at which time the curved edges22 of said wheel have been advanced into contact with the outermovement, whereby the wheel 16 is given a partial turn and is thenbrought to rest until the pin 18 comes around again to engage the nextone of the grooves 7' between the succeeding pair of projections 23.Said pin 18 is preferably arranged substantially midway between the endsof the band 20 formed by said opening 21, to allow space for thero'ections 23 to enter said onenin when the wheel 16 begins itsrotation.

It will be understood that the The pin 18 enters lli) the reverse of thedie 15.

thereof to the shaft 30 and terminates at Each of the dies 15 has adepression therein, a horizontal section of which is sulr stantially ofthe size and shape of the periphery of the blank 25. lhe bottom 26 ofsaid depression forms the bottom of said die, and is. engraved andshaped in any suitable manner, as for instance, with vein-like markingsso as to produce similar markings in a. leaf blank when said blank isbrought to theimpression station and forced under pressure into intimateeontac with sai i die, as by means of a suitable die as 34, which is I For preventing injury of the dies and the blank therebetween, I prefer toattach a piece of comparatively soft material such as felt to the underside of the die 34 in a manner well known in the art.

Suitable flanges as 27 may be provided on said die 15 y means of whichthe die may be fastened to upper surface of the die table 12 as by meansof the bolts 28. A frame as 29 in the form of an arch, projects upwardlyfrom the table 11 and supports the means for driving the variousinstruin-entalities of my ii'nproved macl'iine. Sait means comprises thecone pulley 3L, driven by the belt 32 from a suitable source of power,not shown, and the gear 71 fixed to said pulley, said pulley and saidgear being loosely mounted on the main shaft supported in the frame 29.For reducing the speed of rotation of said shaft with respect to saidpulley, the gear 72 on the countershaft 7 5 meshes with the gear 71 andimparts its rotation through said countershaft to the gear 73. The gearM on the main shaft is driven by said gear 73 and in turn rotates saidmain shaft at the desired speed, the various gears mentioned beingproportioned to effect that end. For operating the reciprocating die34:, a connecting red as "T6 is eccentrically secured at one end :3other end in a hall 77 operating in a suitable socket in thereciprocatory die holder 78. A guide 83 on the frame 29 and engagingsaid holder serves to insure the proper reciprocation of said holder.

At the lower end of said holder 78 is mounted the die 34, which servesto indent the leaf or flower petal blank firmly into the bottom 26 ofthe die 15, whereby said leaf blank is veined and curved in siinuia tionof the veining and curvature of a ural leaf or the flower petal issuitably inipressed and shaped.

The means for rotating the disc 19 comprises the bevel gear 35 at theend of the shaft 80, meshing with the bevel gear 363 on the uprightshaft 37, which shaft is supported by suitable brackets extending fromthe frames 10 and 29. Said disc 19 being mounted near the lower end ofthe shaft 37 is rotated at the same angular speed as the shaft 30, and,therefore, makes one complete turn on each reciprocation of the pressingdie 84, whereupon the grooved wheel 16 is actuated by the pin 18 to makea quarter turn on each complete turn of said disc. It will, therefore,be seen that on each reciprocation of the die 34:, a new sis ispositioned under the reciprocating die, at the point I will term theimpression station.

All of the other dies 15 may have blanks manually or otherwise insertedtherein during the operation of impressing that blank which is at theimpression station, without danger to the operator (Fig. 3), the filleddies 15 being advanced to the impression station in succession, andbeing halted at said station during the reciprocation of the die 34 andthe operations of impressing the blank and removing it from the die.

The means provided removing the finished blank 25 comprises the gripper3i having an upper jaw 39 and a lower jaw -10 pivoted together a 4.1 andnormally maintained with the end in the closed position thereof by meansof the compression spring 43. Said gripper 38 is mounted on and carriedby the arm 44, which is fixed on the shaft passing through the table.

bed 11. To the lower end of saidshaft i5 is fixed the long lever 4'6, aspring as t? being connected to the .end 48 of said lever and beingsuitably secured'at its other end to the frame of the machine. Saidspring serves to maintain said gripper in the in operative positionthereof illustrated in Fig. i, whereby the position into which saidlever may be drawn by said spring f? is limited by the stop 4C9 securedto the under side of the table bed 1i and arrangedin the path of saidlever.

During the operation of the machine the pin 50 on the disc 19 strikesthe end 51 of the lever tfiand rotates said lever together with theshaft a5, and the arm carried thereby, into a position in which thegripper 44 advances toward the blank 25 which is at the impressionstation. During said movement, the end 52 of the gripper jaw 39 engagestheroller supported by the arm 54 on the die holder T8, whereby rgripper members are spread apart about t projecting portion of the blanksuch as stem 55 of the finished leaf. On the up'wz= movement of the die3% the roller 53 is removed from the gripper member 39, whereby the end52 of the jaw 39 is releasec and the spring 43 operates to close the endof said gripper about the projecting portion 55 of the blank. After thepin 50 hrs passed the end 51 of the lever 46, the spri..g 4:7 is free tomove the gripper. 38 and the flower part or leaf carried thereby intothe extreme delivery position at the outside of themachine at whichpoint the roller supported by the bracket 57 on the table 1].

engages the projection 52 of the gripper member 3E) and by depressingsaid projection opens the gripper and allows the finished article tofall therefrom into a suitable receptacle, not shown.

The pin 18 on the disc 19 at about this time enters one of the grooves17 of the grooved wheel 16 and rotates said Wheel and the die table 12carried thereby a partial turn, in this case a quarter, whereby the die50, from which the finished article has just been removed, is carriedaway from the impression station, and the next succeeding die into whicha blank 25 has been inserted, is carried into said station. lhe operatorin the meantime is engaged in filling those of the dies which do notcontain blanks. It will be understood that by the peculiar arrangementot the die table, the operator is readily enabled to insert blanks intotle dies from the side of the machine without danger of injury from thereciprocating die 34, and that the machine needs no attention, but isentirely automatic in its operation, on cepting that the invention ashere illustrated requires the blanks to be fed to the dies manually,though it will be obvious that a suitable automatic feed for said blanksmay be operatively connected to my improved machine and other changesmade without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim: 7

1. In a machine of the characterdescribed, a die table, a series of dieson said table, a reciprocatory die cooperating with said dies forimpressing a blank, means for intermittently rotating said table forbringing each of the dies on said table successively in alignment withsaid reciprocatory die, and means oscillatory in a substantiallyhorizontal plane adapted to close about an impressed blank for removingthe impressed blank from the die in which it is impressed. 2. in machineof the character described, a rotatable die table, a series of equallyspaced dies on said table, a reciprocatory die cooperating with saidspaced dies for impressing a blank, means for intermittently rotatingsaid table for bringing each of said dies successively in ali nment withsaid reciprocatory die, a pair of gripping jaws operatively; connectedto the table rotating means and adapted to grip a blank therebetween forremoving the impressed blank from the die in which it is held, and forforwarding said blank to a delivery station, and stationary means foropening said jaws for causing said jaws to release said blank at said.delivery station.

3. In a machine of the character described, meansfor intermittentlyforwarding a series of blanks into the impression station, reciprocatorymeans for impressing said blanks, a gripper, comprising an upper andlower aw normally in contact, means for arranging said jaws above andbelow a blank at the impression station respectively, and means forcausing said gripper to remove the impressed blanks from the impressionstation into the delivery station.

4:. In a machine of the character described, means for intermittentlyforwarding blanks into the impression station, means for impressing saidblanks,'a gripper comprising a lower aw and a spring pressed upperpivoted to said lower jaw, means for causing said gripper to grip animpressed blank at the impression station, means for removing saidgripper with the impressed blank tlierebetween into the deliverystation, and means for causing said gripper to release said leaf at thedelivery station.

5. In a machine of the character described, means for impressing ablank, and means for removing the impressed blank from the impression tothe delivery station comprising a gripper, an oscillatory arm carryingsaid gripper, means for oscillating said arm, means for causing saidgripper to close on an impressed blank at the impression station, andmeans for causing said gripper to release said blank at the deliverystation.

6. In a machine of the character described, means for intermittentlyforwarding blanks into the impression station comprising a rotatable dietable, a'seriesjof spaced dies on saidtable each adapted to havea blankinserted therein at stations other than the impression station, meansfor impressing a blank, and means for removing the impressed blank fromthe impression to the delivery station comprising a gripper, anoscillatory arm carrying said gripper, means for oscillating said arm,means for causing said gripper to close on an impressed blank at theimpression station, and means for causing said gripper to release saidblank at the delivery station.

7. In a machine of the character described, a rotatable die table,aseries of equally spaced dies onsaid table, a reciprocatory diecooperating withsaid spaced dies for impressing a blank, means forintermittently rotating said table for bringing each of said diessuccessively in alignment with said reciprocatory die, and oscillatorymeans for removing the impressed blank from the die in which it is heldcomprising a gripper, a pair of jaws in said gripper adapted to grip andhold a blank therein, an arm pivoted at one end thereof carrying saidgripper, and means operated by said table rotating meansfor oscillatingsaid arm in a substantially horizontal plane.

8. In a machine of the character described, a rotatable die table, meansfor and engage the sides oi each of said grooves in succession on therotation or said disc, and means on said disc cooperating with saidWheel for preventing rotation of said Wheel when said pin out ofengagement With the sides of a groove, a series of spaced dies on saidtable, means cooperating ii" h each'oi said spaced dies socce wely forimpressing a blank, and means for retrieving the impressed blank fromthe impression to the delivery station comprising a gripper, anoscillatory arin carrying d gripper, a spring pulled lever open 3connected to said arin, and second pin on said disc adapted to engagethe end oi said lever for oscillating said lever.

9. In a machine of the scribed, a rotatable die table, 3 intermittentlyrotating said table comprising a disc, a pin on said disc, and meansoperatively connected to said table rotated for a part of a turn on eachrevolution oi said disc, a series of spaced dies on said table, niea-nscooperating with each of said spaced dies successively for impressing ablank and means for removing the impressed blank from its die comprisinga gripper, an oscillatory .arni carrying sai c gripper, a spring-pulledlever operatively connected to said arm, and a second pin on said discadapted to engage the end of said lever "for oscillating said lever.

10. In a machine of the character described, means for impressing ablank, and means aoapted to close about the impressed blank for removingsaid blank from the impression to the delivery station comprising a p 1oi? normally closed jaws, means for opening said jaws about a blank atthe impression station, means for carrying said jaws to the deliverystation and means for separating said aws at the delivery station.

SALVATORE BERTONi-i.

